For people who travel a great deal and are obliged frequently to put up in hotel or motel rooms the matter of protecting things of value such as jewelry, watches, money and the like against pilferage can be a serious problem. It would be desirable therefor to be able to keep such valuables in a strong box that was portable and of a construction that would require minimum space in one's bags; and which, when in use could be secured in a desk or bureau drawer in such a manner that the drawer could be used but the box could not be removed therefrom except by the owner.
Although portable strong boxes can be found in the prior art, as illustrated, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 963,883and U.S. Pat. No. 358,7486,these are made of rigid materials such as sheet steel, are not collapsible and are intended to be firmly secured to a suspporting surface by permanent fastening means such as screws or bolts; or as illustrated by the treasure box in U.S. Pat. No. 345,302--by an external clamp.
However none of these earlier devices are designed to be carried, conveniently, in a suitcase or bag; and in each instance would permanently deface the surface to which they were attached-- thus rendering these boxes wholly impractical for the traveler staying in a hotel or motel room.